Travel

Given that I’m now working full time, bank holidays (i.e. random days off work) have officially become days where no matter what – I have to be doing something. For August’s bank holiday a few weeks back, Carnival was most definitely my first option, but The Train Line quickly lured me away when they offered discounts to some beach towns in England under the promise of a ‘heat wave’ weekend. I purchased two return tickets less than 24 hours after receiving the e-mail about the deal, and it was extremely easy to convince my boyfriend to come down with me…

Brighton is actually a place I’ve wanted to go to for a few years now, especially as I have a million friends that have gone and come back with really good reviews. I’ll definitely need to return one day to see what the night life in Brighton is saying, but until then I’ll share my top 4 recommendations on things to do when you have just a few hours to spare in the town…

1. Chill at the beach

This is definitely a no brainer – can’t go to a English sea side town and not actually go to the beach. Let’s be honest, the beaches in England really aren’t the best, if I’m really in need of a relaxing beach break I’d definitely prefer to do that abroad. But – if you have a day to spare, and the weathers looking up, you can definitely relax on Brighton beach. It’s comfortable enough, and a great way to get away from the fast-paced corporate lifestyle of the City.

2. Hit up the pier

A good amount of time and money can be utilised at Brighton pier. They have a plethora of arcade games to choose from, and if you walk just a bit further down, you can also enjoy some rides. I’m not much of a rides girl (but absolutely loved them when I was younger), but had some fun with my boyfriend trying our hands at a few arcade games. Along the pier there are regular stops to buy some ice cream, food, and you can also pay for a wristband (I think £30-40) to have unlimited access to all the rides.

3. Try their fish and chips

Fish and chips in London is basic, oily and not necessarily something I’d recommend to anyone. But there’s something quite alluring about getting fish and chips in an actual seaside down. There are genuinely fish and chips shops everywhere you turn in Brighton, so there is no shortage of options and there are also a wide range of prices depending on what your taste is. It didn’t quite correspond with my diet having a battered, fatty meal, but I definitely had no regrets.

4. Sign up for a bike tour

My boyfriend and I didn’t get the chance/time to do this but it was recommended to us. For a fairly cheap price you can actually go online to book a cycling tour of Brighton. It’s a good way to soak up some culture and see more of what Brighton has to offer in the chilled form of a bike ride. It’s two and a half hours long and definitely something I’ll keep in mind for the future.